How many recalls does the 2020 Toyota Highlander have?

4 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 2020 Toyota Highlander, alongside 359 owner complaints.

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2020 Toyota Highlander Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Serious

359 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.43 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious20V633000

Air Bags

Improper deployment of the seat-mounted side air bag raises the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats and replace the seat trim covers as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB14 / 20TA14.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid vehicles. Incorrect seat trim covers on one or both of the front seats can prevent the seat-mounted side air bag from deploying properly.

Serious20V162000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery

Improper fuel supply programming can result in a vehicle stall, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECU, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA06.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander vehicles equipped with a 3.5 L, V6 (2GR-FKS) gasoline engine. Due to an Engine Control Unit (ECU) programming error, fuel may not be correctly supplied to the engine while using the stop and restart feature.

Serious23V720000

Structure:Body:Bumpers

detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will repair or replace the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 22, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB12/23TA12.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.

Serious23V865000

Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

air bag that does not deploy during a crash raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

25Crashes

0Fires

26Injuries

0Deaths

Across 359 complaints. Severity Index 0.43.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train — 118 reports
Unknown Or Other — 40 reports
Service Brakes — 34 reports
Air Bags — 32 reports
Fuel/Propulsion System — 18 reports
Structure:Body — 17 reports
Engine — 16 reports
Electrical System — 14 reports
Vehicle Speed Control — 10 reports
Structure — 10 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2001 (3) · 2002 (2) · 2003 (2) · 2004 (5) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (7) · 2007 (4) · 2008 (13) · 2009 (9) · 2010 (10) · 2011 (5) · 2012 (2) · 2013 (3) · 2014 (5) · 2015 (2) · 2016 (3) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (5) · 2019 (3) · 2020 · 2021 (4) · 2022 (5) · 2023 (9) · 2024 (7) · 2025 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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